Kwaśniewska Kazimiera

Kwaśniewska, Kazimiera Immediately after the Germans occupied the town of Drohobycz, in the Lwow district, Kazimiera Kwaśniewska decided to help her Jewish acquaintances. At first, her help was limited to sheltering persecuted Jews or Jewish victims of pogroms in the city, but later she also provided food to Jews interned in the ghetto. Among the Jews who owed their lives to Kwaśniewska were Gustav and Johanna Kreisler, whom Kwaśniewska helped escape from the forced labor camp (JULAG) belonging to the “Karpathen Oel AG” oil refinery plant where they were imprisoned, and found them a hiding place. Kwaśniewska also exploited her ties with a local Gestapo officer to help obtain the release of Dr. Klinghofer, who was under arrest and faced the death penalty. In risking her life to save Jews, Kwaśniewska was guided by a love of mankind and humanitarian considerations, which triumphed over adversity. After the war, Kwaśniewska moved to an area within the new borders of Poland. Dr. Klinghofer remained in Poland and the Kreislers immigrated to Australia. On May 11, 1980, Yad Vashem recognized Kazimiera Kwaśniewska as Righteous Among the Nations.